China, the land where game consoles are currently still in a quasi-banned state, the console wars pretty much haven't started yet. Gray market imports of both PlayStation 4s and Xbox Ones are slowly trickling in, but it seems that, after all, the scales might tip in Microsoft's favour.

According to an article published by one of China's largest tech sites Sohu IT, Luo Jiangchun, CEO of online video service Funshion, revealed that the Xbox One will be available in China in 2014 during a marketing and advertising strategy meeting last week . Luo stressed that for 2014, Funshion will work on the Chinese version of the Xbox One. He also said that the company will also be ready to take on more video games-related advertisers.

BesTV that Microsoft launched a joint-venture with this past September.

Microsoft and BesTV have sunk a total of $79 million into the joint venture, which is based in the Shanghai Free Economic Zone. It's still unknown what fruit the partnership will bear, but in the same report by Sohu, there were rumors that Microsoft and BesTV were working on bringing over a watered-down version of the last-gen Xbox 360 to China. This China-fied 360 would have stronger online video capabilities and features while toning down the gaming aspects of the system.

Could this be a gamer changer? My thoughts, maybe. It all depends if the Chinese market is ready... but after the lift on the console ban -- they could be.---Always O.G.

Considering that China's internet is closely monitored... and that the average Chinese 'netizen' has sussed out multiple ways around their government's monitoring; I figure that any console that has the remotest stench of more surveillance will not be favorably received.

Of course, if it's the *ONLY* next-gen console sold, then it'll do fine, as there won't be any choice.---My Chicken says, "Cluck!"

Considering that China's internet is closely monitored... and that the average Chinese 'netizen' has sussed out multiple ways around their government's monitoring; I figure that any console that has the remotest stench of more surveillance will not be favorably received.

Of course, if it's the *ONLY* next-gen console sold, then it'll do fine, as there won't be any choice.

Fair point. But the Kinect doesn't spy at all, so it would be up to the customer to believe that or not. But hey, maybe China could use it to spy...

And yes, if it's the only the console available, then yeah -- done deal. I think it will be in terms of going to a store and picking one up. All the others would be import specially products would be my guess.---Always O.G.

Im surprised that they unbanned that console there out of Sony's. I mean with the kinect and all. A state ruled by an iron fist that gets angry at the slightest of things somehow let the nsa gadget get through? mind boggling---"Why do you hesitate to extend the power of Macedon - your power"-Alexander The Great